Lisa Armstrong
Ten wardrobe updates that you already own
From the thick of fashion month, I bring you the key styling tweaks to bring your wardrobe into the here and now
1. The silk scarf
Dear reader, is there anyone among you who hasn’t at some point been given a silky (or silk-esque) scarf by an older relative and thought, thanks – for nothing? Silk scarves are the kind of thing that only the Queen, or women who came of age circa 1960 – Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly – seem to know how to wear.
Chiefly they wrapped them over their bouffants and tied them under their chins. But sometimes they knotted them over their twinsets. Since most women these days lack both bouffants and twinsets, this is a big fashion challenge wrapped up in a deceptively small, unassuming promise. But it must at least be attempted because the silk scarf is now-er than now.
You may not actually want to go the full Jackie-triangularhead-scarf route (it’s also very Christine Keeler). A few brave influencers have been trialling this approach during fashion months, although at the time of writing, their influence has slightly stalled because it still looks a bit costume-drama.
However this is a fastmoving story and what with virus masks taking off big time on some Instagram feeds, the Jackie/christine scarf look could easily be current in a week or three. Perhaps the intersectionality of the scarf and mask could be the point at which people, frustrated by the waiting lists for actual antivirus masks, begin wearing their Hermès scarves over their mouths.
Meanwhile, put the scarf-wearing onus on your bag, and tie one around the handles (a cost-effective way to revive your old black holdall). Or try one as a belt, or adornment for a ponytail. As a low-to-nocost way of adding pattern and personality to your beloved monochrome, it’s hard to beat. It’s also a brilliant validation for all those Saturdays when you meant to take your unworn stash of scarves to the charity shop but never got around to it.
2. The colour blue
Pantone declared blue the hue of 2020 and immediately everyone got very excited. I’m quite annoyed about this because way back at the end of last year in a Stella column, I, too, had predicted similar greatness for blue (largely predicated on the fact that it was all over the catwalks and my own wardrobe, so not exactly clairvoyance on my part) and no one took any notice. Blue shirting and blouses were a major trend at London Fashion Week.
If you don’t already own some blue, chances are, you’re one of that rare breed that doesn’t actually like it. Which is fine. Because white is also the hue of 2020, along with green and brown.
3. Is short really making a comeback?
Last week before her London show, Victoria Beckham said she had been thinking of ways to bring back shorter hemlines for a while. Why VB, why? Most of us have settled into a happy monogamous relationship with the midi and have finally got all our jackets and coats appropriately aligned.
It hurts me to say it, given my knees are the two least favourite, albeit, I concede, useful, features of my body, but her slightly A-line, just-aroundor-below-the-knee skirts and culottes did look fresh and chic. Plus I can’t lie about the short and flirty hems at Gucci, because there were quite a few.
In reality though, I think kneephobes are safe for another season at least, not least because spring isn’t an auspicious time to introduce short. No one wants to have to think about fake tan, depilation, thread veins, cool sculpting, fat freezing and all the other leg malarkey that comes with short skirts and bare legs.
So the new length can wait until winter (but preferably not next winter), when we can wear them with overthe-knee boots, thank you. Until then, sit tight with your existing maxis and midis and keep bare flesh confined to a manageable small foot area by wearing them with slingback heels. Or failing that, your beloved trainers. (Incidentally, you may have heard trainers were on the way out as a fashion statement. I began writing this on the flight to Milan, which is packed with stylists, journalists and buyers. The trainer, let me tell you, is far from over. And the skater shoe may even be having a mini revival.)
4. The trouser suit
Super early adopters may be tuttutting that it’s time to move on, but they don’t really mean it. The trouser suit is only just going mainstream and there are so many different fabrications and patterns that we could be in trouser suit land for some time. Try gently cinching the jacket in with a skinny belt (another very 2020 accessory you already own) and practise wearing it over T-shirts – chic Nineties style – or silky camisoles.
For days when you want the authority of tailoring combined with the comfort of a hug, go for the jumper suit. Oversized sloppy joes with toning trousers were a big feature at London Fashion Week. Remember to wear a smart T-shirt underneath in case it gets hot.
What to do with your peeled-off jumper? Wear it over your shoulders, Italian preppy style. In breaking news, this look is back. We’re seeing it on the audience at Milan Fashion Week as the days warm up.
The current trouser shape? Cropped just above the ankle and waist defining. But in practice, whatever suits your body best.
5. The waistcoat
Worn under your trouser suit as a matching three-piece, or just with the trousers (the loo-friendly answer to a jumpsuit), the waistcoat’s years of languishing at the back of your wardrobe are over. By the time you’ve perfected layering it over your maxi dresses, you’ll wonder how you ever allowed yourself to be distracted by flashier items in your armoury.
6. Elevated denim
Aka designer denim, but that sounds so 2004. Suffice to say, pricey-looking jeans (Gucci’s buckled drainpipes are £1,980) have been catapulted back into the spotlight. Celine and Vuitton showed the way, showing highwaisted flares with diamond-sharp tailoring. The really fashion forward are wearing Gap’s banana-shaped Barrel jeans, which are the shape of the season.
If you’re buying new and want to keep your eco footprint down, check out the following brands: DL 1961, Weekday and Everlane. But don’t tell me you don’t have several perfectly good denim options in one of those Marie Kondo piles you started making 18 months ago.
7. Trousers tucked into boots
If you want to make them ultranow, tuck them into a pair of knee boots. Not my favourite look, but who asked me? Or co-opt another front row favourite and elevate your denim with some elegant slingbacks. Aeyde, a small German footwear brand that manufactures its shoes in Italy, has become a fashion favourite for its reasonably priced, well-made, comfortable, foot-slimming stylish updates on classics.
8. The power blouse
Like Celine Dion, the power blouse has probably been around since the dawn of time, and like Dion, it’s more fashionable and powerful than ever. See Givenchy’s sublime scarf-printed high-necked blouses, circa £1,400, then take a good look at your Zara version and see what can be salvaged. Alexa Chung’s lovely version, with super-seventies collar, is a chic step forward from last summer’s ubiquitous Zara polka-dot dress. I’m torn – it’s 100 per cent polyester so might be a bit sweaty and definitely not biodegradable. Then again, I’ve seen it on and it’s very stylish, so you won’t need it to compost any time soon.
9. Safari style
Previously known as military or utility – it’s all more or less the same vibe. Basically, if it’s khaki and cotton, it works. Camp it up à la Dolce with leopard-print and platforms, or take the whole thing terribly seriously and wear it with pristine white and sensible shoes. Max Mara has a storming pale khaki.
10. The chunky gold bracelet
Chunky gold necklaces are everywhere and frankly, I don’t wish to see any more. But the bracelet is another thing entirely. If you don’t have one – really? – this could be your best purchase of the year. Susan Caplan’s vintage stock is your first pit stop.